Trolley-catcher.



No. 657,342. Patented Sept. 4, I900. F. J. FAIRCHI-LD.

TBOLLEY CATCHER WITNESSES I A lNl ENTOR Attorneys.

ms Nnnms PETERS co. woroumo WASHINGTUN. nv r UNITED v STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK J. FAIRCHILD, or WYANDOTTE, MICHIGAN.

.TRO LLEYl-CATCH ER.

SPEOIFIOATIONfoz-ming part of Letters Patent N 0. 657,342, dated September 4, 1900.

Application tiled October 12,1899. Serial No. 733,348. (No model.)

make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to trolley-catchers, and has for its object an improved trolleycord winder intended to be attached to trolleycars, the object of which is to wind in theslack of the cord and prevent the sudden rising or flying up of thetrolley-head should the trolleywheel leave the wire. The attachment is intended to be placed at the rear.

of the car and is arranged to wind in and coil the slack of the trolley-line. It is arranged to allow the trolley-line to unwind from the reel that forms part of the attachment if it unwinds slowly, but to catch the reel and stop the unwinding of a cord from the reel if there is a sudden strain put upon it, such as is put upon a. trolley-line when the trolleywheel leaves the wire.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation. Fig. 2 is an elevation with the outer plate removed. Fig. 3 is a section through the ratchet and ratchet-wheel. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the drum. Fig. 5 is a vertical section longitudinal'of the axis, taken at the line was of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section and shows the hand-hole at the bottom of the case. Fig. 7 is a detail of the hook terminat ing the coiled spring.

A indicates the casing or barrel, which incloses the drum, the retrieving-spring, and the ratchet-wheel. This drum is provided with ears a, through which are bolt-holes for the bolts by which the attachment is secured to the car.

12 indicates an adj listing-screw that extends through the casing of the drum, the object of which will be explained hereinafter.

0 indicates the throat, through which the trolley-cord (Z leads into the drum.

e indicates the casing of an electric heater. The drum is mounted on an axle f. At the end of the drum is a barrel g for a spring it.

One end of the spring his secured to the barrel and the other end terminates with a hook h, that is adapted to catch in a notch in the axlef. This terminal hook is made by folding the end of the metal of the spring into three folds, so that said folds shall be against the recu'rved portion and against the shank portion of said hook, as shown in detail inFig. 7. The threefoldhook thus formed is less liable to break than a single-fold hook used in the same place.

On the inner side of the drum of the reel is a ratchet-wheel r, and on the casing is hung a pawl p. The pawl 19 is curved downward from the pin g, by which it is attached to the casing, and both eudsare adapted to engage against the teeth of the ratchet. One end .9 extends toward the ratchetteeth and is shaped to engage in notches between the teeth and prevent the revolution of the wheel and drum in the direction of revolution which the 7 wheel has when the cord unwinds.

The other end t of the pawl is adapted to drop into the notches between the teeth, but is not adapted to stop the revolution of the wheel, and this end t of the pawl is weighted or heavier than the other end, so that in its normal condition the pawl 11 rests with theendt on the surface of the ratchet-wheel. The end 8 rests out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel. If the cord be wound on the reel and the attempt be madeto unwind it slowly therefrom, the end t of the pawl 10 will ride over the surface of the wheel, and the end .9 will not engage between the teeth because the pin g, on which the pawl swings, is far enough removed to allow both ends to just clear the teeth. If, however, a sudden jerk is given to the cord, the weighted end 25 of the pawl in rising over the high point of a tooth requires momentum enough to cause the end 3 to drop in front of a tooth, and the tooth itself then causes the end 5 to seat itself in the notch and stop the ratchet-wheel. A regulating-screw?) projects from the outside through the case above the end 3 of the pawl. This regulating-screw determines the depth to which the end if sinks into the notches between the teeth, and consequently regulates the momentum given to the pawl by the rotation of the ratchet-wheel. The pawl must be regulated to allow the cord 

